#33 - Temple Tracks: The history of Indian labourers in the Malayan Railways (with Vineeta Sinha)

The Historyogi Podcast

When we think about the history of Indians in British Malaya, their work in the rubber estates usually comes to mind first. But Indians also helped construct, operate and maintain the Malayan Railways that stretched across the peninsula and connected Singapore as well. Along with the tracks came numerous Hindu temples and shrines that shaped Malaya’s religious landscape. Today, we speak to Professor Vineeta Sinha from the National University of Singapore about her new book Temple Tracks. We discuss the history of Indian labourers in the Malayan Railways, their role in religion-making via temple construction, and how these railway temple stories symbolise the contributions of Indians in developing colonial Malaya and independent Malaysia.